MEET THE TEAM
KIRSTY
Kirsty is the founder and CEO of SoberBuzz Scotland CIC and holds a diploma in transformational coaching. She coaches and mentors others who want to look at their relationship with alcohol. She also volunteers both in the criminal justice system and the community supporting those with addiction issues. She is a proud Leither and lives with two Cypriot rescue cats, Polly and Marcel. She is a self confessed and proud cat lady!
Kirsty has gone from party girl to alcoholic to living her best life alcohol free. She knew at the age of 27 that she had a problematic relationship with alcohol and drugs but the death of her mum when she was 33 saw this completely spiral out of control. It took her another 7 years of drinking daily until she finally got sober in December 2017.
When Kirsty gave up the drink she struggled to find others who were speaking freely and positively about their alcohol free lifestyle. Kirsty knew she was living a life beyond her wildest dreams. She had previously felt so ashamed of her drinking she thought she would never be able to stop. When she did she felt it was the most empowering decision she had ever made. This was the catalyst for starting SoberBuzz and in the past 4 years she has supported many people both with the SoberBuzz instagram page, through her private coaching practice and in her volunteer roles.
Kirsty is a huge music fan and loves to see live music, go to techno festivals and loves to dance. She loves to read and journal and has recently started writing her own book, a dream she had when she was a young woman. A sea dipper, tarot card reader, tree hugger, sunrise chaser and moon lover she finally feels she's met the person she was always meant to be, before the drink took over.
Kirsty knows it’s her life purpose to help people see there is another way to live life without wasting weekends hungover and regretting their life choices. She buzzes with enthusiasm and can’t wait to help and support many more in living a life beyond their wildest dreams!
BRONAGH
Bronagh is a lawyer specialising in Personal Injury Litigation. She is dog mum to Finn the Labrador Retriever and lives with her husband in East Lothian, Scotland. She is a director for Soberbuzz Scotland CIC and is currently completing 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training to become a qualified Hatha Yoga Instructor.
Sneaking out to party in the last two years of school turned into a party lifestyle at university. Drinking alcohol is normalised in society. Booze was there for celebrations, commiserations, birthdays, socials, networking, weddings, funerals, holidays, and Friday drinks in the office. Let’s not forget the good old “it’s 5 o’clock somewhere” that can always be pulled out to justify a bevvy. There were a lot of lost days to hangovers: missed lectures, days off sick from work, and cancelled plans with friends and family. Lost bags, phones, makeup and clothes not to mention the lost time and blackouts. The hangxiety was real and awful. The lifestyle was taking a toll physically and mentally. The booze had to go.
It took a few attempts but once Bronagh stumbled across Soberbuzz Scotland she made it to 3 months aff the bevvy and has never looked back! That was back in December 2019. Now she is living a life she would never have imagined possible. Living on the East Coast, spending most days on the beach walking the dog. Paddleboarding along the coast in the summer days and embracing the wild North Sea in the Winter gives a buzz that can’t be found in a cocktail or at the bottom of a wine glass. Living life free from alcohol is empowering. She has the time and freedom now to live and enjoy life. Learning to become a Yoga Instructor is a secret dream come true.
Bronagh’s tool kit for maintaining good mental health and staying off the bevvy includes getting outside daily for some fresh air, yoga, gratitude, cold water therapy, exercise, meditation, puppy snuggles and connecting with friends and family.
If alcohol is removing the joy from your life, or limiting your full potential please reach out so we can help you take a break from it. You will see the joy come back and thrive in all areas of your life.
SOOZ
Sooz is an accountant who worked in the private sector for over 15 years before moving into the third sector and taking a role with a Scottish charity. As well as accounts she also runs her own jewellery design business in Glasgow, where she lives.
Sooz was a habitual binge drinker in her 20’s, every night out was centred around alcohol which often led to forgetting most of her evening. The days after were very much about recovering, leading to long hungover spells in bed. Often a night out would mean deliberately making no plans for the following days to ensure minimal interaction with anyone or doing anything, it was a waste of life.
A close bereavement in 2019 led to Sooz saying yes to everything in the name of “living life to the fullest” unfortunately this meant a lot of alcohol and partying, being either drunk of hungover isn’t really living.
In July 2020 after a particularly long afternoon of drinking Sooz knew that the impending hangover would be unbearable and right then decided enough was enough. No more alcohol. She was almost 6 months sober and actually contemplating drinking again when she discovered Soberbuzz – it was just the sober family she needed to keep her on her journey.
Since putting down the wine glass Sooz has discovered a love for jewellery design, taking classes at the end off 2020 has resulted in a side hustle which has now become a business – this wouldn’t have been possible if she had still been spending her weekends in bed hungover.
When she is not making jewellery Sooz can be found at festival and gigs indulging her love of indie, rock and alternative sounds, there’s nothing quite like live music when you are sober – and being able to remember everything is a blessing.
Sooz is keen to show people that you don’t need a drink to enjoy life, sober is awesome!
JANE
Jane is a Funding and Development Officer with 8 years experience working in the Third Sector. She has a degree in Human Resource Management and is an Associate member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. She lives in Renfrewshire with her husband, two daughters and their labrador Retriever, Eddy.
Like many in the West of Scotland, Jane’s turbulent relationship with alcohol began in her teens, where she used alcohol for confidence and escapism. By the time she hit her twenties she was habitually binge drinking and regularly taking drugs. She realised midway through her twenties that she had a problematic relationship with alcohol and drugs, and attempted short periods of abstinence…realistically never managing more than a week. In July 2018 she finally found the courage to face her addiction and remove alcohol from her life.
At first, she dealt with this quietly, supported by her husband and a few close friends. She took time to rest, reading lots of ‘quit lit’ and finding new hobbies to distract her mind. As the weeks and months passed Jane began to look for other people in the same position, she took to Instagram and connected with Kirsty. Seeing another person speak so openly and positively about sobriety gave her the courage to do the same.
Since going sober Jane has reclaimed her life. She no longer lives in fear of her drunken antics, she is no longer beholden to the internal dialog urging her to ‘just have a glass’ (it was never just one glass!). She has seen her career flourish, becoming a Director of Soberbuzz Scotland CIC has been a particular highlight, and she is more present for her family and friends.
Jane’s sober toolkit is self care, taking time to get to know herself and to prioritise her needs, sleep, diet and exercise. She regularly meditates and practices Reiki. She taught herself to crochet as a way to keep her hands and mind busy in the early days, now this is a wonderful hobby where she can explore her creativity.
Sobriety has helped Jane to realise her potential for growth and healing. It has helped her to see the infinite possibility the universe has to offer and to see where sharing her experience could be the light someone needs to guide them to embrace the buzz of sober living.